Aug.3 (GMM) Toto Wolff says there are only two candidates in the running to be Lewis Hamilton’s teammate in 2020. Since Nico Rosberg suddenly retired at the end of 2016, Hamilton has been teamed up with Finn Valtteri Bottas. But now team boss Wolff is considering replacing him with Esteban Ocon, the former Force India […]
F1 will still use fuel in 20 years – Taffin
Aug.3 (GMM) Renault’s engine boss doubts Formula 1 will leave behind its fuel-powered era within the next 20 years. In an ever more ‘green’-minded world, and the ever rising success of Formula E, it is speculated that F1 could eventually ramp up its hybrid credentials to do away with fuel altogether. But Renault’s Remi Taffin […]
Binotto, Vettel looking ahead to 2020
Aug.3 (GMM) Ferrari appears to be looking ahead to 2020. But Sebastian Vettel, despite his 84 point gap to the championship lead, says it would make no sense to “throw in the towel” this year either. “The rules aren’t changing much next year, so it doesn’t make sense to throw in the towel,” the German […]
Italian driver on Toro Rosso radar – report
Aug.3 (GMM) A new driver has emerged on Toro Rosso’s radar for 2020. Pierre Gasly has struggled at the senior Red Bull team this year, but boss Christian Horner says he is not considering a mid-year driver change. “He now has the second half of the season to get everything right. But we do not […]
Hulkenberg thinks Renault wants to keep him
Aug.3 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg has dismissed suggestions that Renault is preparing to oust him. Team boss Cyril Abiteboul has been quoted by France’s Auto Hebdo as saying: “Whenever Nico is about to achieve great things, he seems to sabotage himself.” He is referring to Hulkenberg’s crash at Hockenheim, within sight of his first ever podium […]
Verstappen plays down Hamilton’s five titles
Aug.3 (GMM) Max Verstappen has played down Lewis Hamilton’s achievements. The silly season is really firing in Hungary, with speculation raging that the duo could be teammates in the not-too-distant future. Recently, Red Bull boss Christian Horner said he thinks Verstappen is now a better driver than Hamilton. “It’s always nice when your boss says […]
Honda ‘not behind Mercedes’ anymore – Hamilton
Aug.3 (GMM) The days are over when Mercedes could easily out-power Red Bull. That is the view not only of Max Verstappen, but also Mercedes’ championship leader Lewis Hamilton. “They always have a good car,” Hamilton, who says he is feeling “a million times better” physically than he did at Hockenheim, said in Hungary when […]
Verstappen ‘exit’ clause expires on Sunday
Aug.3 (GMM) An explosion of intense silly season rumours could finally come to an end on Sunday. Authoritative sources, including Italy’s Corriere della Sera, claim that the lineups at all top three teams – Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull – are up for grabs. Fernando Alonso is being linked with an unlikely union with Red […]
Teams concerned about fines for safety-based penalties
Aug.2 (GMM) A new penalty issued by the FIA in Hockenheim looks set to have a short shelf-life. For unsafely releasing Charles Leclerc from a pitstop into the path of Romain Grosjean, Ferrari received a EUR 5,000 team fine rather than an actual sporting penalty for the driver. Indeed, for the same infraction at Monaco, […]
‘No idea’ how Alfa appeal will go – Raikkonen
Aug.2 (GMM) Alfa Romeo is pushing ahead with its appeal against lost points in Hockenheim. In a highly complex ruling, the FIA found discrepancies between the drivers’ use of the clutch at the race start and the actual delivery of torque. The implication is that the former Sauber team was mimicking traction control. Another rumour […]
Perez eyes new Racing Point contract
Aug.2 (GMM) Sergio Perez has revealed that he is in talks about extending his stay at Racing Point. Last year, the Mexican and his backers were instrumental in the Lawrence Stroll-owned team’s transition from Force India. And the 29-year-old says he now wants a multi-year deal. “I’ve seen the team evolve over the past year,” […]
Angry Hulkenberg sure his future is ‘in Formula 1’
Aug.2 (GMM) In Hungary on Thursday, it was clear that Nico Hulkenberg’s mood had not significantly improved since he crashed out of the wet Hockenheim race just days ago. The German had looked set to end his unenviable record as the longest-serving Formula 1 driver without a single podium finish. And with his Renault contract […]
F1 teams to decide 2020 Spanish GP fate
Aug.2 (GMM) It could be up to the teams whether Barcelona keeps its place on the Formula 1 calendar for 2020. Earlier, with Zandvoort and Vietnam joining for 2020, it seemed clear that Barcelona and Hockenheim were the two races that would be axed so that next year’s calendar stays at 21 races. But now […]
Hulkenberg ‘interesting’ candidate for Haas – Steiner
Aug.2 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg is an “interesting option” for Haas for 2020. That is the admission of team boss Gunther Steiner, as the Sword of Damocles hangs over current Haas racer Romain Grosjean’s head. Steiner was even asked at Hockenheim if he had thought about axing a driver mid-season, following a spate of collisions between […]
Russell admits 2020 Mercedes seat ‘unlikely’
Aug.2 (GMM) George Russell has admitted that a 2020 seat at Mercedes is “unlikely”. That is despite the fact that, alongside Esteban Ocon, he is one of the German marque’s top development drivers. And Valtteri Bottas’ seat is in doubt, arguably even more so after he crashed out at Hockenheim. “It definitely wasn’t good for […]
‘Clear’ that Verstappen staying put – Marko
Aug.2 (GMM) Max Verstappen has played down sensational rumours that he could still switch to Mercedes for 2020. “I used to say Lewis was the best driver in Formula 1 at the moment, but now I think it’s Max,” 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg said after Hockenheim. Indeed, the Dutchman has won two of the […]
Alfa Romeo undecided over German GP penalty appeal
Aug.1 (GMM) Alfa Romeo has not decided whether to push ahead with its appeal against a penalty that cost both race drivers points at Hockenheim. Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi actually finished 7th and 8th, but four hours after the race they were relegated out of the points when the FIA found a problem with […]
Former F1 players think Alonso return possible
Aug.1 (GMM) Two experienced former F1 personalities think it is possible that Fernando Alonso will return to the grid. Disgruntled with the state of the sport and his lack of opportunities to win, the two-time world champion quit Formula 1 at the end of last year. He has been linked with a potential return, but […]
Leclerc ‘coping better’ than Vettel – Vasseur
Aug.1 (GMM) Charles Leclerc’s former boss says he is surprised how quickly the 21-year-old has put serious pressure on Ferrari number 1 Sebastian Vettel. Last year, Frederic Vasseur was Leclerc’s first Formula 1 team boss, when the Monaco-born driver made his debut for Sauber. “I did not expect that Charles would settle in at Ferrari […]
Current rules make catching up too hard – Prost
Jul.31 (GMM) The current regulations are making it difficult for Renault to catch the top teams, according to Alain Prost. The F1 legend has been promoted from an advisory role at the French works team to become a Niki Lauda-style non-executive director. The development comes as Renault struggles to meet its goal of closing the […]